Otis Redding - Definitive Soul: Otis Redding (2007)

Rhino released a comprehensive double-disc Otis Redding collection in 1998 called Dreams to Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology. It was a generous 50 tracks and contained not only his hits, but lots of great lesser-known singles and album tracks, plus some live recordings. Eight years later, Rhino released a second Otis Redding collection, 2006's The Definitive Soul Collection, which isn't nearly as comprehensive or definitive as Dreams to Remember. It's a good 20 tracks slimmer for one thing, nor is it as far-ranging in its scope or as attractively packaged, for that matter. But while The Definitive Soul Collection pales when judged against its stellar predecessor, taken on its own terms, it's quite a good compilation, containing all of his biggest songs -- "These Arms of Mine," "Mr. Pitiful," "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Respect," "I Can't Turn You Loose," "Try a Little Tenderness," and "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" -- along with a good sampling of the best of the rest. Dreams to Remember may be the first choice for anybody looking for a double-disc set, but if that's hard to find, this is a good substitute. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine